Overview

Busting the Mob: The United States v. Cosa Nostra by James B. Jacobs

Since Prohibition, the Mafia has captivated the media and, indeed, the American imagination. From Al Capone to John Gotti, organized crime bosses have achieved notoriety as anti- heroes in popular culture. In practice, organized crime grew strong and wealthy by supplying illicit goods and services and by obtaining control over labor unions and key industries.

Despite, or perhaps because of, its power and high profile, Cosa Nostra faced little opposition from law enforcement. Yet, in the last 15 years, the very foundations of the mob have been shaken, its bosses imprisoned, its profits diminished, and its influence badly weakened.

In this vivid and dramatic book, James B. Jacobs, Christopher Panarella, and Jay Worthington document the government's relentless attack on organized crime. The authors present an overview of the forces and events that led in the 1980s to the most successful organized crime control initiatives in American history. Enlisting trial testimony, secretly taped conversations, court documents, and depositions, they document five landmark cases, representing the most important organized crime prosecutions of the modern eraTeamsters Local 560, The Pizza Connection, The Commission, the International Teamsters, and the prosecution of John Gotti.

Product Details

About the Author

James B. Jacobs, legal scholar and sociologist, is Warren E. Burger Professor of Law and Director, Center for Research in Crime and Justice, NYU School of Law. Among his books are Mobsters, Unions & Fed: The Mafia and the American Labor Movement, Gotham Unbound: How New York City Was Liberated from the Grip of Organized Crime, Busting the Mob: United States v. Cosa Nostra, and Corruption and Racketeering in the New York City Construction Industry, all published by NYU Press.

Chris Panarella is a Fellows at Center for Research in Crime and Justice at New York University.

Jay Worthington is aFellows at Center for Research in Crime and Justice at New York University.

Read an Excerpt

James B. Jacobs, legal scholar and sociologist, is Warren E. Burger Professor of Law and Director, Center for Research in Crime and Justice, NYU School of Law. Among his books are Mobsters, Unions & Fed: The Mafia and the American Labor Movement, Gotham Unbound: How New York City Was Liberated from the Grip of Organized Crime, Busting the Mob: United States v. Cosa Nostra, and Corruption and Racketeering in the New York City Construction Industry, all published by NYU Press.

Chris Panarella is a Fellows at Center for Research in Crime and Justice at New York University.

Jay Worthington is aFellows at Center for Research in Crime and Justice at New York University.

First Chapter

James B. Jacobs, legal scholar and sociologist, is Warren E. Burger Professor of Law and Director, Center for Research in Crime and Justice, NYU School of Law. Among his books are Mobsters, Unions & Fed: The Mafia and the American Labor Movement, Gotham Unbound: How New York City Was Liberated from the Grip of Organized Crime, Busting the Mob: United States v. Cosa Nostra, and Corruption and Racketeering in the New York City Construction Industry, all published by NYU Press.

Chris Panarella is a Fellows at Center for Research in Crime and Justice at New York University.

Jay Worthington is aFellows at Center for Research in Crime and Justice at New York University.

Table of Contents

James B. Jacobs, legal scholar and sociologist, is Warren E. Burger Professor of Law and Director, Center for Research in Crime and Justice, NYU School of Law. Among his books are Mobsters, Unions & Fed: The Mafia and the American Labor Movement, Gotham Unbound: How New York City Was Liberated from the Grip of Organized Crime, Busting the Mob: United States v. Cosa Nostra, and Corruption and Racketeering in the New York City Construction Industry, all published by NYU Press.

Chris Panarella is a Fellows at Center for Research in Crime and Justice at New York University.

Jay Worthington is aFellows at Center for Research in Crime and Justice at New York University.

Reading Group Guide

James B. Jacobs, legal scholar and sociologist, is Warren E. Burger Professor of Law and Director, Center for Research in Crime and Justice, NYU School of Law. Among his books are Mobsters, Unions & Fed: The Mafia and the American Labor Movement, Gotham Unbound: How New York City Was Liberated from the Grip of Organized Crime, Busting the Mob: United States v. Cosa Nostra, and Corruption and Racketeering in the New York City Construction Industry, all published by NYU Press.

Chris Panarella is a Fellows at Center for Research in Crime and Justice at New York University.

Jay Worthington is aFellows at Center for Research in Crime and Justice at New York University.

Interviews

James B. Jacobs, legal scholar and sociologist, is Warren E. Burger Professor of Law and Director, Center for Research in Crime and Justice, NYU School of Law. Among his books are Mobsters, Unions & Fed: The Mafia and the American Labor Movement, Gotham Unbound: How New York City Was Liberated from the Grip of Organized Crime, Busting the Mob: United States v. Cosa Nostra, and Corruption and Racketeering in the New York City Construction Industry, all published by NYU Press.

Chris Panarella is a Fellows at Center for Research in Crime and Justice at New York University.

Jay Worthington is aFellows at Center for Research in Crime and Justice at New York University.

Recipe

James B. Jacobs, legal scholar and sociologist, is Warren E. Burger Professor of Law and Director, Center for Research in Crime and Justice, NYU School of Law. Among his books are Mobsters, Unions & Fed: The Mafia and the American Labor Movement, Gotham Unbound: How New York City Was Liberated from the Grip of Organized Crime, Busting the Mob: United States v. Cosa Nostra, and Corruption and Racketeering in the New York City Construction Industry, all published by NYU Press.

Chris Panarella is a Fellows at Center for Research in Crime and Justice at New York University.

Jay Worthington is aFellows at Center for Research in Crime and Justice at New York University.

Editorial Reviews

This study of two warring entities, the U.S. government and the American Mafia, views the last 15 years of the struggle via five landmark cases brought against the Mob. Included is "U.S. v. Local 560", in which the government filed civil suit against the largest Teamsters Union local in New Jersey, successfully charging that the local was essentially a Mob-run organization. It was in this case that the Department of Justice first used the Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organization Act (RICO). An appendix follows each case, containing all manner of court documents, with testimony and judges' opinions. In presenting such detailed information, Jacobs provides insight into the mechanics of investigation and prosecution. Interestingly, Jacobs asserts that it was the Reagan administration that reinvigorated America's prosecution of organized crime. Thoughtful analysis throughout.

Brian McCombie

Documents the forces and events that led in the 1980s to the government's most successful organized crime control initiatives in modern American history. Using trial testimony, secretly-taped conversations, court documents, and depositions, the authors document five landmark cases: the Teamsters Local 560, "The Pizza Connection," "The Commission," the International Teamsters, and the prosecution of John Gotti. Annotation c. Book News, Inc., Portland, OR (booknews.com)